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HR Knowledge adds Charter School Division – read more in New England Business Bulletin

Mansfield HR business adds charter school division.

Mansfield-based HR Knowledge Inc. recently announced a new division to specifically cater to the human resource needs of charter schools. The division, to be led by Kenneth Bettenhauser, co-founder and president of brokerage services, will serve a fast-growing client base in the Northeast, the company said.

Read full article in New England Business Bulletin: http://bit.ly/fKEF75

HR Knowledge adds Charter School Division – read more in New England Business BulletinRead More

Shredding local. New Hingham-based skateboard and longboard store features pro skater jams, signings and free stuff.

ATHENAEUM, a completely new concept in retail skateboard and longboard stores, opened its doors in late November at Hingham’s Derby Street Shoppes and offers local skaters a new place to hang and connect with pro skaters and top of the lines decks and hardware.

ATHENAEUM opened its first store located in Boston 18 months ago. The new Hingham location is the beginning of an exciting growth plan for New England. Over the next few years, several stores are projected to open including San Francisco, CA; Huntington Beach, CA; Miami, FL and Denver, CO.

With professional riders at the helm, skaters, as well as their parents will be able to seek advice on their new set ups from riders they have come to idolize on popular media outlets like YouTube and Vimeo. “Not only can I advise them on their components and then build their board, but I can send them out of the store with a free ATHENAEUM t-shirt signed by me” said Dane Webber, a professional rider for Loaded Boards, who will co-manage the Hingham location.

“We are very excited we will be open just a few short months ahead of Hingham’s first skatepark at Bare Cove,” said Jeff Brink, Store Manager. “The Derby Street Shoppes is a perfect location for us, just a few miles from the skate park. The newly built park will attract families across the South Shore of Massachusetts and Cape Cod. ATHENAEUM will blend well in the Derby Street community. We are bringing a truly high quality skateboard store to the community.”

Professional Riders and Top Brands

The Hingham store will carry a very large skateboard and longboard inventory normally only found at the online stores. More than 15 unique brands of skateboard decks including Plan B, Element, Girl, Foundation and Zoo York will be sold at ATHENAEUM. A huge longboard inventory including Landyachtz, Loaded, Never Summer, ABEC 11, Orangatang, Paris and Retro.

See more information on ATHENAEUM by visiting Twitter @ athenaeumstores, Facebook at www.facebook.com/athenaeumstores, or ATHENAEUM’s website at http://www.athenaeumstores.com.

About ATHENAEUM:
With corporate headquarters in Boston, MA, ATHENAEUM reinvented the skateboard shopping experience by opening its first location in Boston, 18 months ago, exclusively carrying hard goods in quantities and selections only previously found online. From store layout to exceptional customer service, to its lounge inspired atmosphere with its own internet lounge and art gallery, video gaming systems and huge flat screen TVs in each store.

ATHENAEUM is not just a store, but also a hangout, a learning center and a social club for skaters of all ages.

Shredding local. New Hingham-based skateboard and longboard store features pro skater jams, signings and free stuff.Read More

Navy veteran earns his strips again…Launches YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.

GOFFSTOWN, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA…

Robert Burris, a four year Navy veteran, has launched his new business venture, YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.  Burris joins the YELLOW DAWG STRIPING franchise team of pavement marking specialists stretching from Maine to New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and, now, Florida. Burris’ new venture will service parking lots in the Jacksonville metro area including Duval, Nassau, Clay, Baker and St. Johns counties.

For Burris, who also happens to be a former professional athlete and four year veteran of local law enforcement, the decision to purchase a YELLOW DAWG franchise was direct and timely. “I had been working with a business coach for several months looking for the right opportunity to build a business of my own and, after going through the process to match my skills with various opportunities, it was obvious to me YELLOW DAWG was the hands-down winner.”

Robert continued, “This is a low cost franchise with low overhead.  It allows me to start a business where there is real demand for my services; every parking lot in my territory needs striping or restriping.  But, what really struck me about YELLOW DAWG was the thoroughness of the operation, how it is truly customer-oriented and not just engaged in lip service to that idea. As a veteran and police officer, I understand and believe in service. YELLOW DAWG does, too.”

The path to owning a line striping franchise goes further back than Burris’ recent business search. At a recent meeting, Burris recalled his days in professional baseball as a pitcher with the Oakland Athletics organization. “Oh, yeah, we always loved watching the groundskeepers do their job. So much goes into it. Back in college ball we were responsible for doing all the grounds keeping ourselves. It always made me smile to be one of the few guys who could run those foul lines straight for 300 feet. Now instead of chalk, I get to paint it on,” he laughed.

One of the lessons of his baseball days has stayed with Burris and is part of his plans for YELLOW DAWG of North Florida. “In sports, in any endeavor really, there are plateaus that need an extra push to break through. One of my coaches would always say to us, ‘It’s only money.’ Meaning, if we didn’t work harder, work smarter and commit to our work, then someone else was going to reach the next level. As a new business owner, that sticks with me. I’m here to work hard and deliver the best possible products and service in the market.”

Burris’ veteran status was important to Jack Child, founder of BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP, parent company of YELLOW DAWG.  Child, also a military veteran, had this to say “Bob joining our team is a big plus for us.  We really like recruiting veterans as they have been trained to show up on time, wear the uniform properly and follow a prescribed system in order to get the mission accomplished – all the necessary skills we need to satisfy our customers.” 

As a member of the VetFran Organization, dedicated to assisting military veterans find a path to business ownership, YELLOW DAWG granted Burris a 30% discount off his Initial Franchise Fee as a way of saying “Thanks” for his military service.

YELLOW DAWG STRIPING is one of three affiliate brands operated by BLACK DAWG FRANCHISE GROUP.  They also offer franchises for BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT, an asphalt maintenance business, and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH, a residential and commercial pressure washing business. BLACK DAWG SEALCOAT now has 11 franchises in seven states. YELLOW DAWG STRIPING has five locations serving six states and BLUE DAWG POWER WASH has three locations serving Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For more information about their three franchise opportunities, please visit BlackDawgFranchise.com. To learn more about YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida, visit YellowDawgStriping.com.  Or call 1-800-998-DAWG (3294).

Navy veteran earns his strips again…Launches YELLOW DAWG STRIPING of North Florida.Read More

Dermatologist Dr. Richard Eisen to speak at Art of Beauty event

Hingham — Board certified dermatologist Dr. Richard Eisen of South Shore Skin Center and Spa, with offices in Cohasset and Plymouth, will speak on the topic of “Ageless Skin” on Tuesday, Jan. 25th at the Art of Beauty event, which will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., at Maxime Salon, 1 Derby St..

Read more in the Hingham Journal: http://bit.ly/fIyvPg

Dermatologist Dr. Richard Eisen to speak at Art of Beauty eventRead More

Dr. Richard Eisen of South Shore Skin Center and Spa featured on EverydayHealth.com

Aging Skin: Why We Get Wrinkles
You can’t keep from getting older, but you can delay the appearance of aging skin and wrinkles.
Read the full article on EverydayHealth.com: http://bit.ly/dTpCcp

Dr. Richard Eisen of South Shore Skin Center and Spa featured on EverydayHealth.comRead More

Ladies, take charge of Valentine’s Day

NORWELL, MASSACHUSETTS…

While Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day for lovers, it can be a source of frustration for many couples. For women, it can be especially frustrating because their significant other doesn’t put much thought into the day or, worse, labors through Valentine’s Day plans as if it’s another chore on the dreaded “honey-do” list. That’s why many women have adopted a “take charge” approach to Valentine’s Day to recapture the spirit of the day.

“Women tend to expect big things from their partner’s on V-Day, and men often feel obliged to come up big or feel like they are letting someone down. No other holiday brings about the differences between men and women more than Valentine’s Day,” said Paul A. Falzone, CEO of eLove, one of the world’s largest online dating and matchmaking services. “,” said Paul A. Falzone, “By being proactive leading up to Valentine’s Day, women can actually show their significant other’s how Valentine’s Day  can be a date to be anticipated, not dreaded.”

Here are some strategies Falzone recommends women try to get their sweetie excited about Valentine’s Day:

  • Leave a racy text – Send them a racy text .
  • Mail a card – There’s just something special about receiving a Valentine in the mail—even for a guy. Again, send it early so he receives it with plenty of time to reciprocate. If you want to talk about having a special evening with him on Valentine’s, even better. Yet the focus should really be on how much you appreciate them.
  • E-mail reservations –  If there’s a restaurant, B&B or hotel you’ve been looking to go to, make reservations ahead of time and share it with your mate. Ask him if he wants to go there for Valentine’s.
  • Alternate years for Valentine’s Day planning – Decide to have one of you plan Valentine’s Day activities and alternate years. Does this open the door for him to do nothing when it’s his turn? Possibly. Yet men are competitive and do not like to look bad or be shown up. So, if you show him a great Valentine’s Day, the onus is on him to top it the next year. 

“It is quite easy to get stuck in the rut of Valentine’s being the proverbial greeting card holiday,” said Falzone. “The idea behind ladies taking over Valentine’s Day really is to make it a holiday you both enjoy and look forward to.” It’s also recommended that you show each other your appreciation by being thoughtful on the other 364 days of the year!

eLove is all you need

eLove, the next evolution in dating, has arrived.  eLove is the first “life stage company” within the dating industry to provide different levels of dating services, from internet to traditional matchmaking, based on how serious singles are about meeting their soul mate.  Never before has a dating service catered so completely to everyone regardless of their age, sex, or relationship goals. With 48 matchmaking offices in 23 states and an online dating network of more than three million singles worldwide, eLove is everything that singles have been wishing for whether they are looking for casual dating or a serious, committed relationship.                                                                                   

eLove’s Matchmaking Service offices are located in:  Arkansas (Bentonville, Fort Smith, Little Rock); California (Palo Alto, Sacramento, Walnut Creek, San Diego, Santa Rosa); Connecticut (Glastonbury, Stamford); Illinois (Chicago, Downers Grove, Normal, Northbrook, Rockford); Indiana (Carmel, Ft. Wayne); Kansas (Overland Park, Wichita); Kentucky (Louisville); Maryland (Columbia, Frederick); Massachusetts (Newton, Norwell, Shrewsbury, Woburn); Michigan (Bingham Farms); Missouri (Springfield, St. Louis); Nebraska (Lincoln, Omaha); New Jersey (Saddle Brook); Nevada (Las Vegas); Ohio (Cincinnati); Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Tulsa); Pennsylvania (Mechanicsburg); Rhode Island (Warwick); South Carolina (Greenville); Tennessee (Memphis, Franklin); Texas (Austin, San Antonio); Virginia (Falls Church, Richmond); Wisconsin (Appleton, Elm Grove, Madison).

For more information on eLove, visit www.elove.com.

Ladies, take charge of Valentine’s DayRead More

Your new travel guide…Marilyn Holstein takes over Hamptons Resort Maps operations.

Marilyn Holstein of Resort Maps
Marilyn Holstein of Resort Maps

SAG HARBOR, NEW YORK AND WAITSFIELD, VERMONT…

 Resort Maps, creator of more than 100 customized travel maps across the United States, England, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, recently announced Marilyn Holstein as the new owner of their map for the Town of East Hampton. The Sag Harbor summer resident took over the publishing of the map effective November 2010.

 Resort Maps are colorful, hand-drawn maps of towns and cities, distributed free to area visitors at travel information and rest areas as well at advertiser locations. Resort Maps highlight local attractions and things to do, restaurants, accommodations, retail shops, real estate and other services in the area. Each advertiser on the map is represented with a display ad surrounding the perimeter of the map, including a color-coded grid locator and their actual building hand-drawn, highlighted and labeled, making it easy to locate. 

“The Hamptons is such a huge and diverse area that it has really been underserved by having only one Resort Map,” said Holstein, who also owns Resort Maps of the North Fork. “That’s why we’ll be creating two maps for the area to offer visitors a more thorough resource and, for our advertisers, a map that better targets potential customers.”

The first edition of the Hamptons Resort Map will be published in May 2011 and will cover the Town of East Hampton, incorporating the villages of Wainscott, East Hampton, Amagansett and Montauk. A map of Southampton (covering Sag Harbor, Bridgehampton, Water Mill and Southampton) is planned for 2012.

“The East Hampton Resort Map is being completely redrawn to more accurately reflect the geography of the region,” said Holstein. “The map will also be folded differently than previous versions so it will be a more convenient size to carry around.”

In addition to the printed map, both Hamptons Resort Maps will also be available online at www.resortmaps.com. There you will also find interactive maps of the more than 100 map areas covered by Resort Maps. These interactive maps allow the viewer to see the business’s advertisement and read a description of each business as they scroll over their building and to connect to the website of the business for further information. 

Prior to starting the North Fork Resort Maps franchise in 2010, Holstein had a career spanning two decades in magazine publishing, including stints at Condé Nast Publications and Advanstar Communications. In her most recent position, she was the managing editor of Newsweek Budget Travel, where she directed the editorial operations of Budget Travel magazine and the new launch, Girlfriend Getaways.

For information on how to advertise on the initial East Hampton Resort Map, you can e-mail Marilyn Holstein at marilynh@resortmaps.com or call 631-655-2773.

Resort Resort Maps

Headquartered in the Green Mountains of Vermont, Resort Maps has been creating and publishing advertising maps in the northeastern U.S. since 1986. In 1993, Resort Maps expanded its reach by creating a franchise model for distribution of its colorful, hand-drawn maps of resort towns and cities. Today, that network of franchises has grown to more than 100 Resort Maps in publication in the US, the UK, Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, with several more in the process of being published.  Nearly 20 million Resort Maps will be printed and distributed in 2010.

For more information on Resort Maps and/or the franchise opportunity, visit www.resortmaps.com or call 802-496-6277.

Resort Maps franchises serve cities and towns in California (Carmel, Monterey), Colorado (Boulder, Breckenridge, Cherry Creek, Colorado Springs, Denver, Vail & Beaver Creek, Estes Park, Fort Collins, Summit County), Delaware (Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach), Florida (Boca Raton, Clearwater Beach and Gulf Beaches, Cocoa Beach, Daytona Beach, Delray Beach, Key West, Melbourne, New Smyrna Beach, St. Augustine, Tarpon Springs), Georgia (Savannah/Tybee Island), Kentucky (Lexington) Maine (Bar Harbor/Acadia, Boothbay region, Camden-Rockland, Kennebunkport, Kittery, Portland, York-Ogunquit), Maryland (Annapolis, Eastern Shore, Ocean City,  Solomons Island, St. Mary’s County), Massachusetts (Berkshires, Brewster/Harwich/Dennis, Chatham-Orleans, Eastham-Wellfleet, Falmouth, Hyannis-Yarmouth, Martha’s Vineyard, Newburyport, Plymouth, Sturbridge, Worcester), Michigan (Northern Michigan/Petoskey/Harbor Springs; Traverse City), New Hampshire (Franconia/Notch Region, Hampton Beach, Hanover/Lebanon , Keene, Lakes Region, Mount Washington Valley, Portsmouth), New Jersey (Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Hoboken/Jersey City, Hunterdon, Lambertville , Long Beach Island, New Brunswick, Ocean Grove, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Sandy Hook), New York (The North Fork, Lake George , Lake Placid, Saratoga Springs, The Hamptons,), North Carolina (Asheville, Brunswick County, Hendersonville , Outer Banks, Salisbury and Rowan County, Sandhills, Wilmington,), Pennsylvania (Bucks County, Chestnut Hill, Delaware River Valley, Gettysburg, Lehigh Valley, The Main Line, Lancaster County), Rhode Island (Newport, Providence), South Carolina (Charleston, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach), Tennessee (Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge), Texas (North Texas, including Fort Worth), Vermont (Addison County/Brandon, Barre/Montpelier, Burlington, Killington/Rutland, Mad River Valley, Manchester, Mount Snow, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe, Waterbury/Richmond, Woodstock/Quechee) and Virginia (Alexandria, Northern Neck & Middle Peninsula) —as well as towns and cities in England (Chicester, Lewes), Puerto Rico (San Juan, Vieques, Culebra) and Costa Rica (Escazu-Santa Ana).

Your new travel guide…Marilyn Holstein takes over Hamptons Resort Maps operations.Read More

MassHealth Services to be Cut by $15.5 Million

Old Colony Elder Services, an agency that serves elders, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers in 23 towns in the Brockton and South Shore area, shares insight on the impact of the proposed budget cuts which were recently announced by the Patrick Administration.

The Patrick Administration is set to make a series of rate cuts to several key MassHealth programs and services. These cuts will ultimately affect the area’s most vulnerable residents – low-income seniors.

Approximately $3.25 million will be cut from programs in the remaining months of 2011, plus another $12.3 million is slated to be cut from the 2012 budget.

According to Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the MassHealth cuts are proposed for the following.

Adult Foster Care – a program that provides daily assistance with personal care and case management oversight in a caregivers home on a 24/7 basis. The proposal would decrease the payment rates for all adult foster care (AFC) services by 6.2% effective March 15, 2011. Reduced rates would not be enough to attract the additional caregivers needed to expand this program and may even reduce the number of existing caregivers. Fewer caregivers will result in the state’s taxpayers paying for more costly living arrangements for these elderly and disabled individuals. Currently OCES has 162 people in this program.

Adult Day Health – a community-based day program providing nursing, therapeutic services and oversight for seniors in an effort to postpone nursing facility placement. Services provided also include nutrition, dietary counseling, case management, activities, and assistance with activities of daily living. The proposed cuts decrease the payment rates for adult day health (ADH) services by an average of 7.8%. Mass Home Care estimated that Adult Day Health enables nearly 7,000 individuals to remain living in the community, which saves taxpayers millions of dollars annually. According to Mass Home Care’s Executive Director Al Norman, “If these seniors had to be institutionalized due to lack of ADH services, the cost would be roughly $408.8 million annually, whereas the entire cost of the ADH program is only about $90 million.”

Group Adult Foster Care – a program that provides daily assistance with personal care services and case management oversight by the provider in an elderly/disabled housing complex or Assisted Living Residence. The Administration has proposed cutting this program’s rates by 7.6%.

“The proposed funding cuts to MassHealth’s Adult Foster Care, Adult Day Health and Group Adult Foster Care programs will affect those most in need. Their only other option is expensive institutional care. These MassHealth programs and services are essential because they enable seniors and disabled individuals who are financially needy to remain living at home longer and with a better quality of life. A reduction in funding for these program will most certainly increase the number of people living in nursing homes,” explained Diana DiGiorgi, Executive Director of OCES.

Ironically, these same programs and services are critical to the success of Governor Patrick’s Community First initiative to enable people to live as long as possible in the least restrictive setting possible.

About OCES
Incorporated in 1974, Old Colony Elder Services is one of 27 private, non-profit Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OCES offers a number of programs to serve seniors, individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers such as Family Caregiver Support; Adult Family Care; Supportive Housing; Nutrition; Money Management; Protective Services and Home Care.

OCES serves elders, their families and caregivers in 23 towns in Southeastern Massachusetts:

Abington, Avon, Bridgewater, Brockton, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Easton, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Kingston, Lakeville, Marshfield, Middleboro, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rockland, Stoughton, Wareham, West Bridgewater and Whitman.

The organization’s mission is to provide services that support the dignity and independence of elders by helping them maximize their quality of life; live safely and in good health; and, prevent unnecessary or premature institutionalization. In 2009, OCES was honored with the Metro-South Chamber of Commerce’s “Economic Impact Award”. The agency has 140 employees. For more information call (508) 584-1561 or visit the website at www.oldcolonyelderservices.org

MassHealth Services to be Cut by $15.5 MillionRead More